A new global study finds that the world is aging so fast that most countries are not prepared to support their rising numbers of elderly people.

Here’s five things to know about the Global AgeWatchIndex (http://www.globalagewatch.org), issued Tuesday by elder advocacy group HelpAge International and the U.N. Population Fund in part to address a lack of international data on the extent and impact of global aging:

PERHAPS SURPRISING

The fastest aging countries are developing ones, such as Jordan, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Vietnam, where the number of older people will more than triple by 2050. All ranked in the bottom half of the index.

IT’S NOT SO SIMPLE

On the one hand, people living longer is a testament to advances in health care and nutrition, and advocates emphasize that the elderly should be seen not as a burden but as a resource. On the other, many countries still lack a basic social protection floor that provides income, health care and housing for their senior citizens.

DON’T DESPAIR

Many governments have resisted tackling the issue partly because it is viewed as hugely complicated, negative and costly—which is not necessarily true, says Silvia Stefanoni, chief executive of HelpAge International. Japan and Germany, she says, have among the highest proportions of elders in the world, but also boast steady economies.

A RISING TIDE DOESN’T NECESSARILY LIFT ALL BOATS

Prosperity in itself does not guarantee protection for the old. The world’s rising economic powers—the so-called BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—rank lower in the index than some poorer countries such as Uruguay and Panama. However, the report found, wealthy nations are in general better prepared for aging than poorer ones. Sweden, where the pension system is now 100 years old, makes the top of the list because of its social support, education and health coverage, followed by Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada. The United States comes in eighth.

EVEN IN SWEDEN, AGING ISN’T WITHOUT ITS CHALLENGES

The Swedish government has suggested that people continue working beyond 65 and has cut taxes sharply for working Swedes but only marginally for retirees. “I go to lectures and museums and the theater and those kinds of things, but I probably have to stop that soon because it gets terribly expensive,” says Marianne Blomberg, an 80-year-old Stockholm resident. “If you want to be active like me, it is hard. But to sit home and stare at the walls doesn’t cost anything.”

As you comment, please be respectful of other commenters and other viewpoints. Our goal with article comments is to provide a space for civil, informative and constructive conversations. We reserve the right to remove any comment we deem to be defamatory, rude, insulting to others, hateful, off-topic or reckless to the community. See our full terms of use here.

A Buffalo, Minn., man was fatally injured Wednesday morning in Hugo when a tractor-trailer and a front-end loader apparently collided. Washington County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched about 8:40 a.m. to the 14600 block of Irish Avenue, where the truck and front-end loader crashed, according to a news release issued by the sheriff’s office. Responding deputies found one man with critical...

Ten years ago, Wisconsinite Helen McCombie decided to ring the bell for the Salvation Army’s red kettle for 30 hours straight, raising $15,000. She continued the tradition for two more years before passing it on to others. This year, the Salvation Army in western Wisconsin hopes the bell-ringing marathoners will bring in $75,000 to help save its homeless shelters, which...

BENSON, Minn. — Minnesota’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a man who died last week after a fall at the Benson Power plant in west-central Minnesota. Almost a week later, the police have not yet released the name of the man, though family members have been notified. The investigation into the incident is ongoing with...

A blind, potbellied pig found abandoned in southern Minnesota will get a second chance at life at an animal rescue in North Dakota. Alison Smith, owner of Kitty City animal rescue, took in Wanda the pig, who was found deserted at a residence in Albert Lea, Minn. A volunteer with Kitty City made the more than 500-mile trek last weekend...

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Republicans’ decision to eliminate the state’s minimum hunting age has created an embarrassing perception that infants are roaming the state’s woods with guns and could allow adults to kill more animals using young children’s tags, a state Department of Natural Resources board member said Tuesday. Board member Frederick Prehn told agency officials during a review of...